Michigan: Hoekstra Touts Primary Poll After Ad Mishap

It’s been a couple of rough weeks for former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R) after his Senate campaign released a controversial campaign advertisement panned by Democrats and Republicans as racially insensitive.

But Hoekstra’s campaign today flaunted a new Detroit News poll that showed he’s still in good shape to win the GOP nomination — although similar surveys show he continues to face a tough race against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

Just more than 50 percent of survey respondents picked Hoekstra over his chief competition in the primary, charter schools executive Clark Durant, who received just less than 5 percent in the poll. Thirty-eight percent of registered GOP voters polled were undecided about the Aug. 7 primary.

Hoekstra’s team sent the poll to reporters just one day after the women starring in the controversial Hoekstra spot apologized publicly for her role in the ad. The blog “Angry Asian Man” first reported the apology.

“I am deeply sorry for any pain that the character I portrayed brought to my communities,” Lisa Chan wrote on her Facebook page. “It was absolutely a mistake on my part and one that, over time, I hope can be forgiven. I feel horrible about my participation and I am determined to resolve my actions.”

The Detroit News poll surveyed 500 registered voters and had a margin of error of 4.9 points. The poll was taken Feb. 11-13, just a couple of days after Hoekstra released his campaign spot that ran during the Super Bowl.